Political Clips

George Will doesn't like the Religious Right that has taken over the Republican party. You might remember from an earlier post that he challenged them to support long-shot candidate Huckabee if they felt they weilded so much power.

Turns out they did support Huckabee and they do have that much power. Recent polls show Mike Huckabee as the GOP front-runner in national polls.

George Will is not happy about this. He feels like Mike Huckabee is not a Conservative in the Ronald Reagan tradition. It seems as though even George Will is waking to the realization that the Republican Party has changed and not for the better.

From George Will's column on the Washington Post::

Huckabee's campaign actually is what Rudy Giuliani's candidacy is misdescribed as being -- a comprehensive apostasy against core Republican beliefs. Giuliani departs from recent Republican stances regarding two issues -- abortion and the recognition by law of same-sex couples. Huckabee's radical candidacy broadly repudiates core Republican policies such as free trade, low taxes, the essential legitimacy of America's corporate entities and the market system allocating wealth and opportunity.

The USA Today had a cover story on November 18, 2007 that explained how the nations Sex Offender's Registry is making the problem worse. The laws are making it impossible for sex offenders to find legal residency. So they are forced to be homeless.

I can't imagine how anyone thinks this is a good idea. Wouldn't someone who was so outcast by society that he is forced to live under a bridge be more likely to re-offend -- just so he can have a roof and three square meals a day?

From the USA Today:

Sex offenders, who are required to register with police and often barred by law from living near places where children gather, list addresses such as a tent, "near a bike path," "behind a cemetery" or "woods behind Wal-Mart."

Another article from the same edition of the USA Today:

Sex offenders are likely to behave better if they have a stake in their community and "something to live for," says psychiatrist Fred Berlin, founder of the Johns Hopkins Sexual Disorders Clinic. Sex offenders are increasingly being shunned and isolated. "They are the modern-day lepers," he says.

The administration has long said that we are fighting Al Qaeda in Iraq. But you might remember from an earlier post that less than 5% of insurgents in Iraq are Al Qaeda members.

The administration would also like to drum up a new war with Iran so they love to talk about how Iran is fueling the insurgency.

Turns out, that may not be the case either.

From The Guardian:

US officials have also long complained about Iranian interference in the affairs of its neighbour, accusing Tehran of shipping weapons for militants over the border. However, any assistance does not appear to extend to people, the paper said, reporting that, of around 25,000 suspected militants in US custody in Iraq, 11 were Iranian. No Iranians were listed among the fighters whose details were found.

I think all of the GOP talking points on why you should hate immigrants are flawed. The one I have heard most recently is that immigrants are not integrating into our society.

I'm not really sure why this is bad other than we don't like people who are 'different'.

However, it doesn't really matter. It isn't true. According to a recent study nearly 9 out of 10 hispanic adults born in the United States are fluent in English.

Maybe I don't understand what is meant by 'integrating into our society'. I would think that speaking English means you have integrated fairly well. Maybe they mean they aren't voting Republican in large enough groups.

Just for reference, here are the other flawed GOP Talking Points on immigration:

Illegal Immigrants Take American Jobs
Yes, they do. But they are jobs most Americans don't want anyway. If we did want the job then let both the American and immigrant apply and may the best person win. The GOP should love that policy. It is what they have been preaching for years when applied to African-Americans.

What's that? Immigrants have an unfair advantage because they can be paid for well under minimum wage while American's demand more? Yes, you are right. They do have an unfair advantage. Make them legal and they will demand the same minimum wage as American's. Problem solved.

Illegal Immigrants Don't Pay Taxes
Make them legal and they will.

Illegal Immigrants Are A Strain on our Health Care System
American's are a strain on our health care system. If you make illegal immigrants legal they will no longer be any more of a strain than your typical American. We can all use the same failed health care system.

We Must Secure Our Border To Prevent Terrorists From Entering
All terrorists caught attempting to cross the border were coming from Canada. Shouldn't we build a fence between us and Canada too? All 9/11 terrorists entered the country legally with visa's.

Good video.

In August of 1998, Huckabee was one of 131 signatories to a full page USA Today ad which declared "I affirm the statement on the family issued by the 1998 Southern Baptist Convention.”

The statement from the 1998 Southern Baptist Convention said, "A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ." You can read about it here.

He probably also believes they shouldn't vote or be allowed equal access to universities.

We are becoming the Middle East.

On March 1, 1997 a series of tornadoes in Arkansas killed 26 people and destroyed hundreds of houses and businesses. Damages were estimated to be in the millions of dollars.

The Arkansas Legislature quickly passed legislation that would bar insurance companies from canceling coverage solely on the basis of claims filed after the losses from storms.

Governor Huckabee praised the legislation as a worthy bill whose objectives he agreed with.

However, Governor Huckabee vetoed the legislation because it referred to damages done by storms as 'Acts of God'. He said signing the legislation would violate his own conscience as it desribed "a destructive and deadly force as being 'an Act of God.'"

Apparently, Huckabee just skimmed through the Old Testament.

From the New York Times:

State Representative Dennis R. Young, a Texarkana Democrat who was the bill's sponsor in the House of Representatives, said, ''We've used the term 'act of God' in insurance since there has been insurance -- before there was insurance.''
...
State Representative Shane Broadway, a Democrat whose district in suburban Little Rock was among the hardest hit by the March 1 tornadoes, simmered over the Governor's action. ''I'm just as much a Baptist as he is,'' Mr. Broadway said.

Here is an example of FOX News being "Fair & Balanced".

Funny video. From BlimpTV: